First of all, as a parent of a child with autism, I know how hard these teachers work with my child and others with autism. I have heard there are many parents who love this teacher and are still standing by her. I think the new mandated reporter protocol is creating an environment of intense persecution and distracting from it's original intent. I also believe the police report statement of "picking a child up by arms from a chair and dropping them to the floor" does not make any sense. Why would someone pick a child out of a chair and drop them down to the floor? Not saying it did not happen, just saying that everything cannot be taken at face value. This is a peculiar case as others have stated and I am sure there are two sides to this story. @First Hand Knowledge did you say you children suffered under her wrath and can't tell the story because they are non-verbal? Did they tell you about the wrath through telepathy? I am not trying to be rude but this woman's career is ruined and her life will never be the same. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Again, the Cobb spokesperson cannot give us the "whole and true" story instead hiding behind the "personnel" issue story. I am sure there is much we don't know and won't know about this, and sad to see that the MDJ had to run this twice, without knowing all the facts, but putting it out there and ruining this woman's reputation. I think the MDJ needs to be more responsible, get all the facts before you skewer this teacher. Instead of tabloid like headlines, give us the "real facts" behind it.

We definately need to hear the other side of this story. Many people in the community don't realize how difficult teaching has become especially with special education students. I am not condoning physical altercations with students as the first means of solving a problem. The growing concern with a larger population of students as a whole including special education is the increased defiance, attitude, disrespect and yes, student physical violence towards teachers while teachers are told to be more patient and understanding. Lets get real...teachers are humans first and they all have an emotional breaking point that many people who don't teach don't understand can be elevated during extremely stressful times, more specifically in a special education classroom. Some of these classrooms have become powerderkegs waiting to go off due to the extreme volitility not because of the teacher, but the students lack of self control and maturity. Now imagine the entire classroom of students being like this. Teaching has become a rough and tough job in certain schools pressing the patience of the teacher at every corner. Again, not condoning physical altercations as the first means to solve a problem with a student, but if you were in this type of stressful environment all day with these types of students that were mentioned, eventually this might happen to you with lessor training that teachers have been trained to handle. I am sure if this is happening in the schools, it is also happening in the homes whereby the parents are just as frustrated and ready to do the same thing. Any parent who has raised a kid knows how much the love their kid, but also know the times they are ready to knock them out when the kids have got on the parents last nerve not to mention been disrespectful, unruly, defiant or combative. This is never a winning situation for either side. My hats off to teachers who endure this type of environment day in and day out. It must be equally frustrating as a parent to raise a similar child in the home...can't imagine.

Nobody forced her to become a special ed teacher and "endure this type of environment day in and day out." If she couldn't handle it, then she needed to walk away and calm down. There is NO EXCUSE for abusing a child, any child - EVER! The parents trusted this woman to act in the best interests of their children. Yes, it's really hard to raise a child with special needs, but it's hard to raise any child. What the parents of autistic children know is that it is the children who are frustrated by the difficulty they have communicating with us or by their sensory overload. They aren't trying to be "disrespectful, unruly, defiant, or combative." What's frustrating about raising a child with autism is dealing with idiots like you and the abusive jerks that you enable.

Concerned Parent

|

October 04, 2012

Thank you First Hand Knowledge! We must protect our children. Even one child mistreated is too many. Obviously, there were grounds for the school to take this action.

Unfortunatley, you'll never HEAR the account of what happened to MY children FROm my children, as they are children who have non verbal autism. Now, what a hero she is. We must contro the little innocent children who have non verbal autism. BTW, autism rate in GA is 1 in 84. It is not a ? of whether or not it will touch you, but WHEN.

Spoiled Children

|

October 08, 2012

The number one problem with our disgusting and failing educational system is the lack of ability to punish children and keep a good learning evnvironment in the class room. US students are now scoring worse than those of third world countries. I want to know what were the resulting injuries to this child? I will wager absolutely none! Another fine teacher will most likley change careers and our country will continue to turn out D and F students.

unfortunate

|

October 04, 2012

I feel that this is likely a setup... and that she was attempting to protect the safety of other children... I think that the public deserves to hear the entire story...was the child hurt that she picked up and was she trained to restrain??... lots of special ed. teachers are required to restrain their students to protect the student involved and others in the class.

Setup?? What could possible make you think setup?? If another teacher or personal reports allegations of ANY type of 'mishandling' of any child, administration would not report it too the police w/o enough evidence, not to mention, the police had enough evidence to petition a judge for a warrant for arrest. Then, she turned herself in...sounds guilty to me. There is never any reason to 'lift a child by the shoulders and DROP them to the floor'!!! Surely that is not 'trained restraint'!! I don't care what the child did!!! We don't know her side, but I think there is enough evidence on the guilty side, that as a parent, I would want it reported if my child was mishandled to any degree!!!!!

@elementary parent

|

October 06, 2012

Educate yourself. "Administration would not report it too (sic) police w/o enough evidence". Administration must report it to police, their responsibility is to report, not investigate. And "she turned herself in so she must be guilty". Too ignorant and ridiculous to comment on.

I "third" that...we'll never hear the other side, however. Another career ruined.

first hand knowledge

|

October 04, 2012

I know her side. my kids suffered under her reign. I knew this day would come.

@first handknowledge

|

October 04, 2012

Your "kids" suffered under her reign? You had more than one child in special education?

Mad Auntie

|

October 07, 2012

@me too: "Another career ruined." What about the child she abused? How does this affect the rest of his LIFE??? Most of these children can't speak for themselves, and the mandated reporter rule was put in place so that they would have some protection from abusive individuals like this woman. If this had happened in a "regular" classroom, this monster would be locked up and the key thrown away. But I guess special needs kids are less deserving of justice? Life for special needs families is hard enough without having to deal with ignorant people like you. May God have mercy on your oblivious souls.

*We welcome your comments on the stories and issues of the day and seek to provide a forum for the community to voice opinions. All comments are subject to moderator approval before being made visible on the website but are not edited. The use of profanity, obscene and vulgar language, hate speech, and racial slurs is strictly prohibited. Advertisements, promotions, and spam will also be rejected. Please read our terms of service for full guides